Archive for August, 2009

What A Parent Says…

Aug 28 |
Sooey • 12:42

… When a 13-year-old says, “I’m going to be the youngest person to sail around the world solo”.
“No. You’re not. Because the youngest person to sail around the world solo is 17 and today the world voted to make it illegal for anyone else to sail around the world solo. Now go to bed – school starts next week.”

From Senate Reform to a Reform Senate

Aug 27 |
Sooey • 17:44

Ooh, it’s going to be extra fun abolishing the Senate now that Stephen Harper has stacked it with his cronies. Right, Stephen Harper? Stephen Harper? Hey, where’d you go, Stephen Harper?
Speaking of sleazy hoodwinkers, remember when Reformers were all going to opt out of the pension system? I mean, seriously – what are Canadians voting for when they vote Conservative? A federal government with no integrity but plenty of homophobia?

Political Goodbyes – and Money Handouts

Aug 27 |
Sooey • 12:42

Just once wouldn’t you like a retiring Premier, wife standing at his side, Ol’ Faithful to the end, to say that he’s stepping down after ten years of leading a really boring, although geographically central, province to spend more time hitting the discos with his boytoy?
And wouldn’t it be nice if the unfortunately NOT stepping down Prime Minister, when he’s handing out your cash to one of his pet Conservative causes, said, right up front, that he’s doling out your money to one of his partisan causes in hopes of buying votes for the Conservative party in the upcoming election?

What’s In A Name?

Aug 25 |
Sooey • 18:59

When I was on the maternity ward having my first child, my ex took it upon himself to do a little cultural intervention and prevent a couple (of the non-Anglophone variety) from naming their son “Mathew” as opposed to “Matthew”. That neither of us were aware of the French “Mathieu” (I know, Canadien philistines) is irrelevant since the couple was, well, not French, either. Indeed, they were an “ethnic” couple, as most of the other couples on the ward were – demographics being what they are and all. But we both have Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Toronto and we couldn’t bear for their son to be held back in life by what we knew would be some pointy WASP teacher who would stream him into the tech high school (I know, I know – they don’t do that anymore) because his parents didn’t know that the correct spelling of Mathew is Matthew.
It was 1990. Long before Canadians knew there were Muslims. Or even Arab Christians – which is what that couple was. Arab Christian from Lebanon (I’m guessing, but from what I learned via the woman who worked at the convenience store near our suburban home in Ottawa – years later – that couple was most likely from Lebanon naming their son with the good Christian Mathew/Matthew).
ANYWAY, to make a drunk post shorter, I just have to say, we thought it was a little bizarre that couples from elsewhere, now/then here, would be naming their sons (and daughters) – and we encountered other couples on the ward, Italian, Polish, African – with names like Ashley and Justin – and Mathew/Matthew – instead of… well… less “Top Ten Canadian WASP baby names”.
Which brings me to the point of this entry – why is it that so many Muslim parents name their sons, Mohammed? I mean, honestly, and not to be officious, but – I can see where so many Mohammeds, aged young to teen, are going to cause an administrative nightmare one of these days. As a G-person, I just want to suggest that you Muslim parents mix it up a bit. For instance, when I was in grades five and six, my teacher was a Muslim man from Guyana, first name Ahmed (second name… Mohammed…). It turns out his third name was also Amin, but we didn’t find that out until a few years later – when it was safe to say your last name was Amin. In the meantime, it also turned out his first name was actually Mohammed – but for the sake of Westerners, he went by Ahmed. My point being – why are all Muslims boys named Mohammed?!
Anyhoo, the moral of this story is: never post drunk.
I think I’ll leave this post as a lesson to myself. But seriously – what’s with all the Mohammeds?! I mean – c’mon. THERE ARE TOO MANY MOHAMMEDS! STOP NAMING YOUR SONS MOHAMMED!

What’s in a Name?

Aug 19 |
Sooey • 18:37

Well, if it’s votes, I think the NDP should have changed its name to the Liberal Conservative Party.